Old Believers - History and Cultural Relations

The historical event that gave rise to the Old Believers is known in
Russian history as the Great Schism, or
Raskol.
At root in the schism was the introduction of church reforms during the
period 1651-1667. The patriarch of the Russian Orthodox church,
Patriarch Nikon, assumed the responsibility for revising the church
books in use at the time. The reforms transcended the written word, for
Nikon extended the reforms to include matters of the service ritual.
Large segments of the populace, deeply offended by being told they must
change aspects of their traditional ritual, rebelled and remained
faithful to the Old Rite. Of the items reformed, one in particular
became an identifying symbol of Old Believers, namely, crossing oneself
with two fingers instead of the reform-mandated three fingers. Peasant
attitudes were strong in opposition to other issues of the reforms as
well.

This quickly led to social strife that was so serious that Tsar Alexei
exiled Nikon. Nonetheless, in one of history's ironic twists, the
tsar approved the reforms. Refusal to accept the reforms became a
violation not only of church law but also of civil law. Those refusing
to adopt the reforms were considered separatists (
raskolniki
). Priests who refused were arrested and often executed. The Old Ritual
became synonymously referred to as the Old Belief. Hence, adherents
called themselves and became known as Old Ritualists or Old Believers,
and the reformers called them raskolniki.

Old Believers, fleeing persecution, established themselves in remote
areas, and they still tend to eschew contact with surrounding
populations. After the communist revolution in Russia, many escaped over
the border into China where they settled in remote areas of Manchuria
and Sinkiang. Some years after the communist revolution in China, Old
Believers were able to escape to, or received permission to exit to,
Hong Kong. The vast majority went on to South America, principally
Brazil. After four discouraging years of poor agricultural conditions,
many were able to secure voluntary passage to the United States and
eventually settled in an ever-growing community of Old Believers located
in Oregon. Here they were joined by another recent Immigrant group of
Old Believers who had been residents in Turkey and Romania for some two
hundred years.